The bears can tear into cars and coolers and more substantial things. My wife and I were working in Sequoia one summer. I was in the backcountry working on log cabins. We were getting into some for the first time that season. As the bears were troublesome the park folks had shutters and doors that were a couple inches thick and then had nails pounded through pretty densely to discourage the curious. Well one had gotten in by tearing the the door apart. Then he apparantly panicked and exited through the opposite wall. This again was a log building. Then another cabin was used by U.S.G.S. to monitor snow depths so it was kept stocked with food but in a wooden cabinate mounted on the wall and covered with sheet metal. A bear proof box maybe? It was. When we got there, a bear had been unable to open it but had torn it off the wall. It was a bit of a challenge getting three hundred pounds of cabinate along with the food off of its doors so we could open it.

Now those were just black bears. I'm sure there are plenty more big bear stories. When we hike certain places in Glacier we carry the "Bear Off" spray but I agree, I don't think it would make much difference. Years ago my wife and I were hiking back trails a geyser in Yellowstone. On the way out, something charged at us. We couldn't see it through the dense timber but stood stock still as crashing timber moved closer. Never saw him, I'm glad he stopped.

Rex